Whilst lacking the punch of their previous outings, Vampire Weekend’s new record is the sound of a band in control of their musical vision.
Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of The City
Tyler Boehm
FIDLAR – FIDLAR
The LA skate-punk band’s debut is messed up, deliriously awesome and born out of total nihilism, write Tyler Boehm
A$AP Rocky – Long.Live.A$AP
The ultimate internet rap success story, now that Rocky’s out in the wider world of major rap, the pressure is on to find something new to say or, more importantly, a more memorable way of saying it.
Trash Talk – 119
You know going in that 119 is going to be a savagely ferocious album with unrelenting kick-you-in-the-teeth intensity, but the band’s effortless dynamism in mixing metal and punk sounds and the memorable riffs keep it engaging.
R Kelly – Write Me Back
It’s hard to know whether to read Write Me Back as a detour, a retreat or an act of self-preservation, but it is an immaculate album of smooth, grown man soul.
SpaceGhostPurrp – Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp
For those new to SpaceGhostPurrp, Mysterious Phonk is a good introduction to a unique, malevolent voice on the increasingly strange rap landscape.
The Small Faces – Small Faces, From The Beginning, Small Faces, Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (Reissues)
These reissues of The Small Faces’ four seminal albums are a fine way to get to know a band that maybe isn’t as well known as it should be (at least Stateside), as well as providing the definitive reissues for completists.
Gotye – Making Mirrors
Goyte makes highly tuneful, mature, rock-based pop music with fresh melodic songwriting that demonstrates his uncommon ambition and craftsmanship.
Drake – Take Care
Take Care succeeds as a complex and sincere portrait of a man trying to hold onto some semblance of genuine relationships in a world of sycophants and groupies.
Real Estate – Days
Days, Real Estate’s new album, follows the same sonic blueprint that made its debut so enjoyable, while taking an autumnal turn. Tyler Boehm reviews.
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV
For an artist who has consistently defied expectations over his career, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV is sadly boring.
Kanye West and Jay-Z – Watch the Throne
Full length Kanye/Jay Z collab is a must-listen of cultural relevance; the work of two icons in an era of Internet phenomenons and niche followings.